Several women (including co-author and dear friend Pam Farrel) have asked me to show you all how I study the Bible. It’s a little different than most people, so I made a video for you. Basically, I study the Bible in five stages.
Resources
Here are the resources that the video mentions I use to study the Bible.
Stages 1 and 2 Bible Study
For my overview and detail stage read-throughs, I use pens that won’t bleed through thin Bible pages and a straight edge (mine is an old Day Timer ruler).
Stage 3 Bible Study
This is the study Bible I’m currently reading through. It’s excellent. It comes with a free digital version through Olive Tree that I’ve put on my computer for easy copying and pasting when I’m writing Bible studies.
- Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson
Stage 4 Research
The first encyclopedia is my favorite, but it’s pricey. The second is the digital encyclopedia I mentioned. I also use Strong’s Talking Greek Hebrew Dictionary (free with Wordsearch Bible) and NASB Greek-Hebrew Bible Dictionary (free with purchase of New American Standard Bible in Wordsearch Bible). Most of our commentaries dive into the nuances of the Greek and Hebrew in context, including the two below.
- Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, 5 volumes, ed. M. C. Tenney
- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, various (this link is for Kindle; I have the Wordsearch Bible and Olive Tree versions)
- Paul’s Letter to the Philippians (New International Commentary on the New Testament), Gordon Fee
- Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (New American Commentary, vol. 32), Richard R. Melick (this link is for hard cover; I have the Wordsearch Bible version)
Stage 5 Further Research
I found the book on Roman prisons at Biola’s library when I was writing the first version of the Philippians study about a decade ago. If found the other two books last year when I was updating the study for publication as Discovering Joy in Philippians. D. A. Carson is one of my favorite authors so I snapped them up.
- The Book of Acts and Paul in Roman Custody (The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting, vol. 3), Brian Rapske
- Basics for Believers: An Exposition of Philippians, D. A. Carson
- Praying with Paul: A Call to Spiritual Reformation, D. A. Carson
Don’t Miss!
Right now I’m leading an online Bible study through Discovering Joy in Philippians: www.JeanEJones.net/online! It’s not too late to join!
Thank you for the list of resources you use for the study of Philippians.
You’re welcome, Gaye!
I am trying to sign up for your new Bible Study in Philippians and the free resources but after signing up and getting the password can’t get into it and can’t figure out why.
Hi, Kathleen. There should be a menu at the top of the screen that has options for “Online Bible Studies” and “Free Resources.” I emailed you the direct links. Hope that gets you in to everything! Blessings!
when you started out I thought of precepts.
Hi, Becky! Yes, there are similarities. The pens have the color code from Precepts on the back of the package. I followed that color scheme for a bit, but then morphed it a bit to better trace the themes I’m tracing.
Thank you for the overview of your approach to studying scripture! I enJOY listening to you speak, and I can testify to the fact that your JOY is contagious!!
Haha! Love that: “enJOY”! And thank you!
thank you, jean, for sharing these! years ago, my Bible study tools would take up a good portion of the dining room table! my very first resource was a BIG stron’gs concordance,,,but i have learned the joy of commentary’s and online resources
Coleen, I think we gave away our huge Strong’s once we got the digital one. It’s so much easier to use! I used a Thompson Chain Reference Bible for several years–I really liked being able to trace topics in it.